Los Angeles Bachata & Salsa Festival
Loews Hollywood Hotel | 1755 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood | Aug. 13 | lasummerbachatafestival.com
Enjoy four days of workshops, performances, and non-stop dancing featuring world-class instructors and DJs. Dancing tickets start at $15 and day passes start at $70.99.
Summer Street Fest
Smith Park | 6016 Rosemead Blvd., Pico Rivera | Aug. 14 & 21 | pico-rivera.org
Summer Street Fest returns with performances from Ballet Folklorico Guadalajara, Nueva Ola, Mariachi Premier, Ballet Folklorico Mixteco, Mariachi Los Camperos, and mixes from DJ Beatdrop. There will also be food and specialty vendors, a beer garden, community exhibitors, and a family-friendly Fun Zone. Admission is free.
Little Shop of Horrors 40th Anniversary Screening
Fox Performing Arts Center | 3801 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside | Aug. 14 | foxriverside.com
Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Little Shop of Horrors with a screening hosted by the original Audrey, Ellen Greene.
Friday Nights at The Gamble House
The Gamble House | 4 Westmoreland Place, Pasadena | Aug. 14 | gamblehouse.org
Enjoy access to the first floor of the famed Gamble House, where docents will be stationed in each room to share insights and answer questions. Then head out to the lawn and sip curated wine flights from West Altadena Wine, stretch out on a blanket, and settle in with a picnic or purchase food from Triple Beam Pizza and dessert from Normal Ice Cream while Gal Pearl plays rhythm and blues, and soul music. Tickets: $40 w/wine tasting (21+) for non-members, $5 w/out wine tasting, and free for children 12 and under.
KCRW Summer Nights
Wende Museum | 10808 Culver Blvd., Culver City | Aug. 14 | wendemuseum.org
Eat, sip, shop from a Good Food–curated Night Market, hit the dance floor with music mixes from KCRW DJs Anne Litt and Nassir Nassirzadeh and explore the museum after hours. RSVP: free.
‘Battleship Potemkin’
Sierra Madre Playhouse | W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre | Aug. 14-15 | sierramadreplayhouse.org
Sierra Madre Playhouse – reflecting its own historic path from silent movie house to one of the Southland’s leading performing arts centers – bridges silent-film history and live music vitality with a program pairing the groundbreaking 1925 silent film Battleship Potemkin with the world premiere of a music score for string quartet and vocal quintet composed and conducted live by George Sarah. Tickets: $30.
Cinespia: Slumber Party Featuring: ‘X’ + ‘Pearl’
Hollywood Forever Cemetery | 6000 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles | Aug. 15 | cinespia.org
Picnic at Hollywood Forever Cemetery as DJ sets bring the block party to life, and enjoy classic movie treats. There will also be a free photo booth. Tickets start at $24.
Historic Pasadena Architectural Walking Tour
Pasadena | Aug. 15 & 30 | laexplained.com
This guided Pasadena history and architecture tour explores the people, architects, landscapes, and landmark homes that helped shape Pasadena’s identity. Ticket: $33.99.
KCRW Summer Nights with Metro Art
Los Angeles Union Station | 800 N. Alameda St., Los Angeles | Aug. 15 | events.humanitix.com/kcrw-summer-nights-with-metro-art-at-union-station
Grab some refreshments as you dance and catch the hypnotic grooves of RIO KOSTA before they head out on a world tour with Jungle this fall, plus sets from KCRW DJs J.Rocc and LUXXURY. RSVP: free.
The Spring Arts Tower Takeover
The Last Bookstore | 453 S0 Spring St., Ground Floor, Los Angeles | Aug. 15 | lastbookstorela.com
This pop-up market features hundreds of vendors in all 12 floors of the historic downtown building. Timed tickets: $5.
Remember When Rock Was Young
LA County Arboretum | 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia | Aug. 15 | pasadenasymphony-pops.org
Paying tribute to Sir Elton John, the show brings his biggest hits like “Benny and the Jets” and “Tiny Dancer” to the stage. Tickets start at $45.
Matinees on the Mountain
Mount Wilson Observatory | 100 Mt Wilson Circle Road, Mt Wilson | Aug. 15 | mtwilson.edu
Watch “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” in the 256-seat auditorium and enjoy lunch at the Cosmic Cafe or picnic on the grounds. Movie snacks and drinks will also be available for purchase. General admission: $20.
Levitt Vibe Pasadena Music Series
Memorial Park | 85 E. Holly St., Pasadena | Aug. 15 | levittvibepasadenamusicseries.com
“Jazz Group of the Year” nominee, The Lao Tizer Band, make their debut at the new Levitt VIBE Pasadena Music Series. Admission is free.
Symphony in the Cities
Aitken Arts Plaza | One University Drive, Orange | Aug. 16 | muscocenter.org
Wrap up a lazy summer day with a free evening of music under the stars featuring familiar tunes, sing-alongs, and family-friendly activities. Presented by Pacific Symphony, the evening will feature a potpourri of popular classics, pop songs, and patriotic tunes. A pre-concert Musical Playground features many interactive and hands-on activities for children, including instrument making and a drum circle. Registration is required.
Nisei Week Grand Parade
Little Tokyo District | Aug. 16 | niseiweek.org
The parade kicks off at 4 p.m. starting on Central Avenue and heads west down 2nd Street, north on San Pedro Street, and east on 1st Street. Arrive early and head to Weller Court for community booths, games and prizes from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Moonlight Movies on the Beach: ‘Grease’ the Sing-Along
Granada Beach | 5000 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach | Aug. 18 | moonlightmoviesonthebeach.com
Pack up the car with chairs, blankets and snacks and head to the beach for a free movie at sunset. Don’t want to pack food? Local food trucks and kettle corn vendors will be on site.
ONGOING
‘Two Gentlebots of Verona’
Media Park Downtown Culver City | 9091 Culver Blvd., Culver City | Through Aug. 23 | theactorsgang.com
Buena Vista Branch Library | 300 N. Buena Vista St., Burbank | Aug. 29-30 |
The Actors’ Gang’s annual tradition of Free Shakespeare in the Park for Families returns with a new production -”Two Gentlebots of Verona” – a one-hour adaptation of William Shakespeare’s play “Two Gentlemen of Verona.” When two best friends, Val and Proteus, travel to Culver City, their bond is put to the test. They both fall for the same robot, Silvia Dot Matrix, prompting betrayal, disguises, and a journey down a road towards forgiveness that leads them back to their friendship. This is a free event, and early registration is recommended.
‘Phantom of the Opera’
Segerstrom Hall | 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa | Through Aug. 30 | scfta.org
The Phantom of the Opera returns with its iconic score that includes “The Music of the Night,” “All I Ask of You,” “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again,” “Masquerade” and its unforgettable title song. Tickets start at $74.
Sawdust Art Festival
935 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach | Through Sept. 6 | sawdustartfestival.org
Discover handmade artwork from more than 180 local artists, enjoy live music, art demonstrations, take a glassblowing or mosaic class (among many offered), and soak in Laguna Beach’s beautiful scenery. Single day ticket: $12.50 for adults, $10.50 for seniors, $5.50 for children.
‘The Comedy of Errors’
Old Zoo in Griffith Park | Through Sept. 6 | indieshakes.org
Two small-town pals find themselves lost and fumbling through a Mediterranean port city. Surrounded by a medley of languages, cultures, and unfamiliar rules, the duo stumbles through mishaps, mayhem, and mistaken identities, only to run into the last people they expect. Admission: free.
‘Romeo and Juliet’
Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum | 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga | Through Sept. 26 | theatricum.com
Co-directors Ellen Geer and Willow Geer have set their “Romeo and Juliet” in New York City during the tumultuous Gilded Age, a period marked by stark social inequality and rampant industrialization. Through this lens, the famous love story becomes not just a tragedy, but a powerful warning about the costs of division, hatred and fear. Tickets to performances range from $15 to $63. Children 4 and under are free.
‘Waiting in the Wings’
Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum | 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga | Through Oct. 3 | theatricum.com
Set in “The Wings,” a charity home for retired actresses, Noël Coward’s 50th play is a witty portrait of nine opinionated, funny, difficult and full of life women, each of whom once basked in public admiration — but who must now learn to face old age together, long after the curtain has fallen. A tribute to the theater that evokes the lives of aging stars, their lingering jealousies and the enduring power of friendship, Waiting in the Wings is a meditation on community and forgiveness. Old grievances linger here like half-remembered roles, but Coward suggests that bitterness is heavy to carry, and that reconciliation, no matter when, can be liberating. Tickets to performances range from $15 to $63.
‘The People of Pompeii’
Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum | 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga | Through Oct. 4 | theatricum.com
Weeks after the Palisades Fire narrowly spares their Topanga home, Carlos and Vera invite friends over for a celebratory dinner party meant to restore a sense of normalcy. But as the night descends into EDM-fueled chaos, chocolate mushrooms and brutally honest confrontations, the myth of communal harmony begins to crack wide open. At once hilarious and deeply uncomfortable, The People of Pompeii dissects performative progressivism, gentrification, race, class and the uneasy social dynamics between longtime canyon residents and wealthy newcomers searching for authenticity as Topanga becomes increasingly trendier and more elite. Tickets to performances range from $15 to $63. The performance on Monday, Aug. 31 is Pay-What-You-Will (available online the week of the performance or pay cash at the door) and features a 30-minute pre-show discussion, beginning one hour before curtain, at 6:30 p.m.
‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’
Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum | 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga | Through Oct. 10 | theatricum.com
Set against the natural backdrop of Topanga’s woods, this production requires no elaborate set design to conjure Shakespeare’s enchanted forest brimming with magic, mischief and romance. Audiences of all ages will be enchanted by the whimsical entanglements of four lovers, a troupe of bumbling actors, and the mischievous fairies who meddle with them. Tickets to performances range from $15 to $63. Children 4 and under are free.
‘WASHOKU | Nature and Culture in Japanese Cuisine’
Japan House LA | 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles | Through Oct. 18 | japanhousela.com
This landmark exhibition explores the core elements, evolution, and cultural significance of washoku, a UNESCO-recognized intangible cultural heritage.
‘Treasure Island’
Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum | 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga | Through Oct. 3 | theatricum.com
In this re-imagining of the novel by Theatricum artistic director Ellen Geer, a young man’s romantic dream of pirates on the high seas becomes a harrowing reality. Tested at every turn, young Jim Hawkins faces each challenge with courage, trusting in a moral compass strong enough to triumph — and to discover the true treasure: a life lived with integrity and purpose. Tickets to performances range from $15 to $63.
‘Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon’
Academy Museum | 6067 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles | Through Feb. 28 | academymuseum.org
“Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon” will celebrate Marilyn Monroe as a visionary actor and image-maker, examining the many facets of how she created and shaped her public image in the context of the classical Hollywood studio system. The pink satin gown will be on view in the exhibition, located on Level 3 in the Rolex Gallery. General admission tickets for the museum’s exhibitions are $25 for adults, $19 for seniors (age 62+), and $15 for students.
‘Studio Ghibli’s Ponyo’
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures | 6067 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles | Through March 21 | academymuseum.org
The Academy Museum presents Studio Ghibli’s Ponyo, celebrating the artistry of Studio Ghibli and the hand-drawn animation behind the 2008 film. The exhibition features over 100 original materials from Studio Ghibli, including art boards, posters, an animation desk, and hand drawings by Hayao Miyazaki, many on display in North America for the first time. Curated by Jessica Niebel with assistant curator Emily Rauber Rodriguez. The museum is open six days a week, closed on Tuesdays. Tickets $15–$25; film screenings $5–$10.